Chapter 42

Chapter 42

Shen Yue and Wei Jinchuan made a pact: testing the waters was one thing, but they must not reveal their relationship in public.

He thought simply—since he couldn’t resist, he might as well go along with the world's will and play out the storyline. After all, he did have a thing for Wei Jinchuan’s face, and having him around all the time lately, visible but off-limits, had indeed been frustrating.

As for whether he still had feelings... honestly, given how things had unfolded, it no longer mattered.

Admittedly, at least before that dream, he had liked Wei Jinchuan—a fact Shen Yue saw no reason to deny. Even if he later developed disagreements and wanted to pull away, it was out of rationality, not emotion. After all, if feelings could be controlled, why would there be so many heartbroken people pining for unrequited love?

Jiangcheng was drizzling with a steady rain, delaying their flight back to Haicheng. Fortunately, there was no work that required his personal attention these days, so Shen Yue decided to stay in Jiangcheng a bit longer.

The sofa by the floor-to-ceiling window was a perfect spot to enjoy the rain. Wrapped in a blanket, Shen Yue lounged on the couch, watching the neon lights blur into an indistinct, colorful haze through the rain, growing drowsy.

"Aren’t you going to change? Let’s go out for dinner."

A voice roused him from his drowsiness. Shen Yue looked up to see Wei Jinchuan wearing a warm sweatshirt, standing a few steps away.

"Don’t feel like it, I’m not hungry," Shen Yue replied in a lazy tone. "It’s raining; I don’t want to go out."

Wei Jinchuan approached. "You can’t skip meals."

"Then let’s not eat out." Shen Yue shifted to a reclining position, looking up at Wei Jinchuan from below. "Wei Jinchuan, you can cook, right?"

"..."

With just one glance, Wei Jinchuan understood exactly what Shen Yue meant. After a moment’s hesitation, he said, "It’s been a while. It might not taste great."

"No problem," Shen Yue smiled with a bit more sincerity, pleased with the answer. "I’m not picky."

Wei Jinchuan studied him for a few seconds before he gave in. "Change your clothes. We’ll go buy groceries."

This guy really didn’t get it—Shen Yue had already said he was too lazy to go out in the rain, yet he was still being forced.

After a brief silence, Shen Yue remembered Wei Jinchuan’s cluelessness about dating—how he even needed someone else to teach him—and suddenly felt at ease again.

In the end, he changed into a long-sleeved shirt to ward off the chill and went out with Wei Jinchuan.

They were staying at a property owned by his brother, Shen Cuo, which had been gifted by a business partner during a trip to Jiangcheng. Though not very spacious, its prime location was a plus. However, since Shen Cuo spent most of his time in Haicheng, he’d almost forgotten about the place until Shen Yue called him on his second day in Jiangcheng.

Though small, the apartment had everything they needed, and there was a large shopping mall nearby where anything missing could be bought immediately.

Shen Yue wasn’t picky about food. He simply followed Wei Jinchuan around, but eventually grew tired of trailing behind and wandered off on his own to stretch his legs.

While passing the seafood section, someone called out to him, "Hey handsome, do you like fish? These are really fresh."

Shen Yue looked up to see a young male sales clerk.

The clerk had initially thought Shen Yue looked decent from the side, but when Shen Yue turned to face him, revealing that stunningly handsome face, the prepared sales pitch caught in his throat.

Handsome—incredibly so. He’d never seen such a good-looking man.

The man was quite tall but didn't look bulky; instead, he possessed a perfectly proportioned elegance. Broad-shouldered and slim-waisted with long legs, he wore ordinary casual clothes suitable for the rainy season, yet he gave off a bespoke high-fashion look. Every movement exuded a debonair demeanor.

Especially now, as the man looked directly at him, his expressive peach-blossom eyes showed mild confusion. Even with just a natural upward tilt at the corners, they were more alluring than any deliberate gesture, making it hard to look away.

For the first time, the clerk understood that the phrase "myriad charms" could also describe a man.

Feeling awkward under the prolonged gaze, the clerk quickly explained, "The fish in our supermarket are very fresh, delivered daily. Look how lively they are! If they don’t taste right, you can always return them."

Shen Yue glanced at the fish—they did seem fresh, but he wasn’t fond of them. Either the skin disgusted him, or he couldn't be bothered to pick out the bones.

He curled his lips and declined, about to look for Wei Jinchuan, when the clerk, seeing him prepare to leave, had a total brain short-circuit and did something he’d never done before.

He stepped in front of Shen Yue, blocking his view, and eagerly pulled out his phone. "Um, if you like fish, we could exchange contacts. I can let you know when we—"

"He’s not adding you."

Before the clerk could finish, a cold voice cut him off.

Startled, he turned to see a man a head taller than him, pushing a shopping cart and glaring icily.

Wei Jinchuan walked to Shen Yue’s side, his possessive attitude clear as he asked, "Want to eat fish?"

"No," Shen Yue smiled, seemingly oblivious to the tension. "But the clerk was quite enthusiastic, so I listened for a bit."

To him, it was just "listening for a bit," but to Wei Jinchuan, it meant something else entirely. The latter sneered, shot a warning glare at the clerk, and pushed the cart toward the checkout.

After paying, Wei Jinchuan carried two shopping bags in one hand and held an umbrella with the other. Shen Yue watched his sulking profile, both amused and exasperated. "Are you really angry over this?"

Wei Jinchuan remained silent.

Carrying nothing, Shen Yue strolled leisurely. "What, now that we’re dating, I can’t even talk to others?"

Wei Jinchuan walked a few steps ahead before replying, "The way he looked at you was off. I don’t believe you didn't notice."

Shen Yue was impressed by Wei Jinchuan’s ability to read someone's gaze like that.

"It’s rude not to respond when someone speaks to you," he said. "I didn’t say much anyway, and didn’t I leave as soon as you said to?"

Though logically sound, Wei Jinchuan still felt uneasy. "But—"

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Three strikes and you're out—Shen Yue hadn’t really intended to placate him in the first place. Annoyed by Wei Jinchuan’s harping on such a small thing, he lost patience.

He stopped walking altogether. "Fine, eat by yourself. I’ve lost my appetite. I’m going somewhere else."

Without caring if he had an umbrella, he headed for the nearest shelter under an eave.

Wei Jinchuan panicked. Caught off guard by Shen Yue’s sudden stop, he had taken two steps forward, leaving Shen Yue’s hair dotted with fine raindrops. He hurried back, realizing Shen Yue was angry, and was quick to apologize, forgetting his own earlier irritation. "I didn't mean it like that."

Shen Yue glared coldly. "You once said if I cheated right under your nose, you’d make me regret it. So, what are you going to do now?"

"Don’t say that," Wei Jinchuan’s expression darkened. Though bothered by Shen Yue talking to others, he knew it wasn’t nearly as serious as "cheating." "Don’t be angry. If you don’t like it, I won’t mention it again."

"Then what do you want me to say?" Shen Yue retorted sarcastically. "You’re the one suspecting me, and now you’re the one telling me not to talk about it. What, you want to have it both ways? Are you schizophrenic?"

"..." Knowing he was in the wrong, Wei Jinchuan’s expression shifted repeatedly, but he couldn’t argue back. In the end, he could only apologize meekly.

Watching him, a subtle curve formed on Shen Yue’s lips.

He admitted it—he was doing it on purpose.

Purposely letting Wei Jinchuan make mistakes, watching him flounder, seeing how he was bothered to death yet feared being abandoned again, treading carefully.

Wasn't the world's will trying to destroy him? Didn't it want him to fawn over and please Wei Jinchuan? Well, he refused to comply. Though he couldn't defy the world's will yet, the upper hand in this relationship—who held the reins, whose emotions were swayed, who would win or lose—was still undecided. The game had only just begun.

He could overlook Wei Jinchuan's foolishness, could brush off the harmless things Wei Jinchuan said to him, but he couldn't ignore the "Will of the World" that sought to control him.

In a way, he had to thank that dream. Without it, he might have truly ended up with their roles reversed—obsessing over Wei Jinchuan’s every thought, word, and deed. But because of that dream, because he wanted to distance himself from Wei Jinchuan, a chain of events unfolded like a butterfly effect. Now it was Wei Jinchuan struggling with his emotions, not him being anxious and insecure.

Shen Yue looked at the pitiful figure before him and curved his lips into an emotionless smile. Finally willing to lower his pride, he decided to smooth things over: "Jin Chuan, it's true that I'm gay, but that doesn't mean everyone in the world is gay. I’ve been with many people in the past, but that doesn't mean everyone who meets me falls for me. If you can't even handle me saying a few extra words to someone else, then this relationship of ours... I don't think there's any need to continue."

"No way!" This was the one thing Wei Jinchuan absolutely could not accept, especially since Shen Yue said it so casually, as if wielding a knife to slice open his heart, laying it bare and raw.

He finally relented: "I won't do it again in the future."

The rain around them grew heavier, soaking the cuffs of their pants. The street, with no one around, was far from quiet. The pouring rain drowned out most of Wei Jinchuan's attempts to explain himself.

Head bowed, he couldn't help but sneak glances at Shen Yue's expression. The bag handles dug into his palms, leaving white marks. Where was the air of the young master he once had?

What a sorry sight.

Shen Yue was tickled by his distress, this time smiling genuinely: "Just kidding, didn't scare you, did I? I'm hungry, let's go back and cook."

Having gotten a bit wet from the rain, the first thing Wei Jinchuan did upon returning wasn't to cook but to brew a bowl of ginger soup for Shen Yue.

The early autumn weather was already turning chilly, especially with the rain. Shen Yue, bundled in a blanket, watched as Wei Jinchuan brought over the soup but didn't take it: "What's this?"

He already knew what it was—the pungent ginger scent was unmistakable—but he didn't want to drink it. Too spicy, he disliked the taste; even with extra sugar, he couldn't get it down.

"Ginger soup," Wei Jinchuan said, pressing the warm bowl against his cold hands. "You got a little wet earlier. It might not be much, but if you catch a cold, you'll feel awful. This is good for you."

"I know," Shen Yue found the soup a bit too hot and placed it down on the round glass table in front of him. "Leave it there. I'll let it cool and drink it later."

Wei Jinchuan wasn't fooled and stared at him intently: "Drink it while it's hot. I'll watch you finish it and then take the bowl to wash."

"Then I won't drink it," Shen Yue pulled the blanket over his shoulders, closed his eyes, and acted stubborn. "You have it. You got wet too, and you still have to cook. If you get sick, I won't eat what you make."

His stance was firm, refusing to listen no matter how he was persuaded. Out of options, Wei Jinchuan set the ginger soup aside to cool and went back to the kitchen to cook.

He worked quickly, and within just over ten minutes, three simple home-cooked dishes were on the table.

Wei Jinchuan glanced out of the kitchen. Shen Yue was still asleep—or at least pretending to be—breathing evenly and deeply. Outside, the rain pattered softly, creating a sense of peaceful calm.

Wei Jinchuan watched quietly for a moment, thinking how nice it would be if things could always stay like this. He almost couldn't bring himself to wake Shen Yue.

He called out: "Wake up, dinner's ready."

Shen Yue hadn't actually been asleep and roused immediately. Walking to the dining table, he was surprised by the three dishes, each appealing in color and aroma.

In his impression, Wei Jinchuan should have been a young master who’d never done a day’s work in the kitchen. He'd assumed the earlier claim was just bluster—surely he couldn't actually cook? Yet the presentation was surprisingly decent, though he wondered about the taste.

After washing his hands, he noticed Wei Jinchuan seemed lost in thought and sat down directly: "What's wrong?"

Wei Jinchuan shook his head and said, "It's nothing."

"Are you upset again because I didn't drink the ginger soup?"

Shen Yue smiled to himself, thinking Wei Jinchuan was being overly petty to hold onto such a small grievance.

But after dealing a blow, it was only right to offer a sweet reward. After all, it was the other's good intentions, and wasting it outright felt unjustified.

"Alright, quit pouting. After dinner, I'll add some sugar to the ginger soup and drink it."

Shen Yue thought of teasing him with a more affectionate nickname, like "little fool" or "little dummy"—though derogatory, adding "little" made it sound indulgent and endearing.

So with curved eyes, he affectionately called out to Wei Jinchuan: "You little idiot."